Originally published 3/14/2013. Updated 6/29/2018
Tart and tangy with a hint of sweetness, gluten free dairy free cranberry muffins are without a doubt, a delicious guilty pleasure.
But a guilty pleasure that is rather healthy at the same time…
These cranberry muffins are actually made entirely of gluten free oats, which are a great source of fiber. No carb loaded flour here, just the goodness and nutritional boost of oats. The oats are blended coarse so they resemble crumbly flour, but they are nutritionally superior to regular flour with the added benefit of being good for digestion.
Gluten Free Oats Before & After
In all honesty, using the oats this way in the recipe was very similar to using regular flour in your recipe. If it weren’t for them being a bit coarse, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
This recipe also calls for adding in dried cranberries, also known as Craisins, instead of fresh cranberries. Initially this seemed like it wouldn’t lend itself well to a really delicious muffin, but the Craisins really bring out the cranberry flavor without the over tartness that sometimes happens with actual cranberries.
You’ll also notice that these gluten free cranberry muffins do not call for any of the usual suspects in gluten free baking. You know – the xanthan gum, guar gum and expandex. The reason is that it doesn’t need them – those binding agents (or a substitution) are often necessary in breads, but quick breads and muffins can often go without. And since keeping things simple is always a plus, this is a recipe that fits the bill nicely.
Another thing to love about this recipe is the low fat content – with only 2 tablespoons of olive oil for all 12 of these muffins, this one truly low fat delight.
Then add in the orange juice and it makes these gluten free dairy free cranberry orange muffins low fat AND good for you.
So I hope you are ready to be amazed by these incredible little gems. Without further ado…
Gluten Free Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds ground
- 3 Tbsp. warm water
- 3 cups gluten free oats
- 1 cup Craisins
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ¾ Cup orange juice
- 1 ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray or use paper liners on 12 muffin cups. Set the pan aside.
- In a small bowl, prepare the chia egg by mixing 1 Tbsp. of ground chia seeds with 3 Tbsp. warm water. Stir to mix and set aside to thicken.
- In a blender or food processor, place the 3 cups of oats. Blend on high until the mixture turns into course flour like consistency.
- In a large bowl, mix the oat-flour mixture, Craisins, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
- Add the olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar and chia egg to the dry ingredients and mix just until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full of batter.
- Bake for 18 -20 minutes.
Notes
- Grinding your own oat flour is super easy with a food processor.
- This recipe is not only gluten free, but egg free and dairy free too.
- The muffin batter will be quite thick - it results in hearty muffins!
Nutrition
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